


Case File: Pandora & the Universe

by OtAkU200LiOn



Category: Lupin III, Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, F/M, Gen, Sort Of, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26050918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtAkU200LiOn/pseuds/OtAkU200LiOn
Summary: The former Kudo Shinichi, now Edogawa Conan, wished for only one thing. To stop that day from happening and to successfully take down the Black Org. But at what cost? his identity apparently.
Relationships: Hattori Heiji & Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hattori Heiji/Tooyama Kazuha, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Yukiko/Kudou Yuusaku
Comments: 31
Kudos: 133





	1. Run

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed, Magic Kaito, or Lupin III. They both belong to their rightful owner.
> 
> I only own the plot that I wrote for this fanfiction, or really just how I wrote it cuz I’m not sure there was a real plot to begin with.
> 
> Does not follow original chronological order of events and cases of the anime/manga, so prepare to be confused... Or just fill it up with whatever you think fits the best.
> 
> Also, practice writing #2: “What if” situations. Character Identity crisis and disassociation. Minor/major character death. Working on longitudinal time setting. Third person’s text, though perspective is on Main Character.
> 
> Challenge: Create rules, follow said rules, bend one. Strictly main character’s perspective, but allowed interpretations of actions.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> ^-^

If anyone were to tell Kudo Shinichi that tailing men in black would result him into turning into a child, he would have laughed at their face and proceed to deduce that they're delusional. If anyone were also to tell him that he'd be going back to said past via a gem that was rumored to grant total immortality, he would've happily put them into their own business by kicking a soccer ball to their face.

Unfortunately for him, both these things did happen to him. He knew being de-aged was impossible and being sent back to time was just removing any sanity left in his wake.

But here he was, Kudo Shinichi, his old identity who failed to defeat the Black Organization and thus officially pronounced dead to the world.

Here he was, 4 years of being Edogawa Conan and still looking so much like a six years old even as he turned ten, giving up on getting his old body back after consuming too much temporary antidote and being told that it can't be completed without the original (destroyed) data.

Here he was, bloodied and bruised as the Organization that he chased throughout the rest of his life in his child-sized body ambushed Agasa-hakase's house along with his own manor just to get rid of those who knew about them.

He was still running away from them.

It was supposed to be a good day. It was supposed to be an overly violent criminal activity free day whenever there's a KID heist. He was supposed to relax into the ongoing rivalry and battle of wits with the one and only Phantom Thief, chase him up to the rooftops and retrieve the stolen gem. And it was.

He persuaded Ran to let him go to the heist, using his childish acts as Conan to complain about how it's the only event he actually enjoys. Ran told him that he can go as long as he goes straight back after the heist. Conan happily agreed with it and proceeded to go to the location where the heist was going to happen.

It was a very good day, to the point that he was giddy enough to let a bit of childishness to seep through his very being and prepared to run when the fans from outside started the count down.

The thrill of dodging the traps and running after the Phantom Thief was the best thrill Conan was willing to take, because the thrill of chasing down murderers didn't allow him much fun without potentially endangering him or those around him.

They proceeded with their dodge ball routine on the rooftop, though this time he didn't get the chance to take the gem because the look that the thief had when he checked the gem under the moonlight told him that KID wouldn't give it back anytime soon.

KID finally found what he was looking for and even beckoned Conan to come beside him to look at it.

He thought the heists were a safe haven. He thought that no one would dare murder someone within KID's no-harm policy. That this was a safe place from the men in black.

But as Conan walked towards the thief he saw the red dot he feared so much point on the thief's forehead, and all he could do was quickly kick a soccer ball in that direction as fast as he could to manipulate the thief to dodge.

Conan didn't like the look of pure terror on KID's face as the bullet hole leaked blood. It was like the time slowed as the thief tipped backwards from the force of the bullet, the gem slipping from his grasp and landing in front of Conan as he fell from the eight-story building. He wasn't fast enough.

Conan screamed.

It was the worst KID's heist in history, and everyone would remember the horrifying echoes of Edogawa Conan's scream as he watched the infamous Phantom Thief 1412 fall to his untimely death.

Only the ping of another bullet near his left leg forced him to pick up the gem and run. Panicked, he went down the building and grabbed his solar powered skateboard to try and loose them.

Chaos was all it was at the bottom as everyone runs for their lives, the task force doing their job to do as much damage control as they can. Conan could care less as he all but threw his skateboard on the ground in his haste to get away.

When he thought he lost them, he went straight to Agasa-hakase's house to warn Haibara Ai, formerly known as Miyano Shiho, that there's more of them, and they just killed Kaitou Kid. But as he veered his skateboard to the road leading to their house, he saw smoke.

He knew it was wishful thinking that it was from another house, but as he sped past the house he knew they were gone.

Haibara and Hakase were gone and he was alone.

He was still speeding through the streets choking back a sob. He avoided going to the direction of the Mouri Detective Agency, not wanting to see if they too, were ambushed or if they were left alone. He was not about to take the possibility of them being safe only for him to blow it up by showing up at their doorstep. He can't let them hurt Ran-neechan.

He sped to a different direction.

A direction he knew were familiar in the back of his panic induced mind, but he couldn't be bothered to think much of it as his skateboard tripped on a small rock, sending him tumbling down through the trees and bushes. He tumbled and rolled to a stop, leaving him scraped and bruised. He huffs and gulps, eyelids blinking slowly like he was gassed with sleeping gas.

Conan knew he had to get up, to run away and hide. All he could do was roll his body so that he was lying on his back. Panting from the effort, he curled his hands to form a fist, only to notice the gem that he was still holding with his right hand. Lifting said limb, he looked at the gem under the moonlight.

He saw blood red within the supposed sapphire gem, and he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! first time here and man I had no clue where to write a draft even though it was probably staring at me in the face. Anyways, hope y'all enjoy this! this is actually posted through 3 fanfiction sites including this one, so if you want to go ahead and read it there good luck finding me.


	2. Tropical Island

′ _Poor human_.′

A soft voice. Conan whimpered.

′ _Hush child, rest. I shall grant you another life much better than this_.′

He could feel the wind breezed around him and ruffled his hair, as if it was his mother gently brushing her fingers through his hair.

′ _You deserve so much better_.′

He woke up dazed, and feeling his body sore. He wasn't sure where he was, but he knew that it was sometime around the afternoon based on how the sun was quite literally beaming down on him making his headache known.

He groaned and turned to his right, momentarily wondering why he was lying down on a grass as he rubbed his sleep away with his left hand. His right clenched something small and hard. He stiffened, stopping any further movement aside from taking his left hand from his eyes to get a better look on what was in his right hand.

A stone?

Not quite, his mind registered as he blinked, the sapphire gem in between his clenched fingers shined under the sunlight. Then all of a sudden his eyes widen at the sight of the gem and all the memories from the day before came crashing down on him like tidal waves, making his headache worse than it was before.

The heist, the roar of the crowd.

The thrill, the gem,the red dot, the white cape, the monocle, fear, the blood, the fire, black coats, smoke, guns, _bloodbloodbl--_

A sob escaped him, and he hastily tried to muffle it as he took a moment to breathe.

'Okay', he thought to himself as he sorts past his memories to form logical thoughts, 'where am I?'  
He looked around to see a bunch of trees and put on a guess that he must be in a park somewhere but it wasn't enough to tell him exactly where he was.

Forcing himself to stand up, he scouted the area to hopefully find an opening leading to wherever he currently was while at the same time looking for his skateboard in hopes of using it to go home... wherever that was, his mind supplied, now that he was officially on the run from those men in black.

'Those who were after KID, were they after the gem?' he asked himself as he continued to walk aimlessly, 'what was the real purpose of the public heists? Surely if he was to search for a gem that the Organization was interested in then the thief would have done it in secret.' His eyes scanned the area, though nothing from his sight were really registering in his mind as his thoughts were rapidly firing from one question to another.

'A public heist... a public stunt... a show?' he absentmindedly noted that he could see some fairy lights from where he was, and that there were some weird background noises that were somewhat familiar.

'Ah! maybe it's to lure--'His train of thought was cut off abruptly when he stepped out into the wide open space, revealing a sight he wished he didn't see again.

Tropical Island.

He knew the place like the back of his hand. The only place he was aware that he became obsessed on knowing for any other chance to know about the Black Org, yet avoid like a plague. Not that he was very successful.

He wasn't sure how he got here considering the fact that he only used a skateboard to get to the island but he didn't think it was worth to think too deeply about it. Anything considered normal to the majority of the populace were clearly thrown out the window after he was shrunk.

It really wasn't weird to be here, he thought, but the fact that blood sprayed on his face didn't make the situation any normal. The following scream was enough to let him know he definitely recognized that scream what with his obsession on that fateful day.

He didn't even realize where his feet was taking him until he arrived at the spot where he knew the coaster would stop. What he saw was what he expected to see when he arrived at the crime scene. Though it did not include the teenagers up front. He didn't want to believe it, yet...

He saw himself.

To be precise, Kudo Shinichi in all his detective glory.

Was he dead? is this a dream? nightmare? All Conan can do was stare as his older-self (Past? did he really just traveled through time?) deduced the crime and pointed out who the real culprit was.

When the reporters came and Kudo Shinichi looked like he welcomed the attention, Conan decided that yes, he had somehow been brought in the past. Somehow... or maybe it was a really bad dream.

It didn't stop him from tailing his old self and Ran-neechan (gosh, after four years of being a kid he couldn't identify her anymore than a big sister) wherever they go. He was only partially doing so because he was weirdly distracted by little things whenever he tried to follow them.

Like that one time when the count down for the fountain ended and the fountain came to life, Conan watched in fascination, momentarily forgetting what he was originally doing until the couple he was originally tailing was nowhere near his sight.

After that, he couldn't really remember where they went, so he strolled around the area. It wasn't until the sun was down that he spotted them from a distance, with his past self running towards... him? Conan's eyes scanned the area.

'No... the dark alley on the right.' Conan's eyes widen as he realized what was happening and panicked. All his life, his only regret was tailing after the men in black through their blackmailing. The only thing in his life that he wish he could change.

Like right now.

Conan, in his fit of panic, dashed towards the young adult in an attempt to intercept him from proceeding to tail the men in black. in his mad dash though, he tripped on his own feet and fell, somewhat rolling as his dash had too much force that his momentum made him smack painfully to the ground.

He was startled. Then tears started prickling his eyes. His confusion and stress building up inside him at the thought of not catching up to his older self as well as the pain he felt as his skin kissed the ground was enough to make him start bawling pathetically.

His bawls only got louder as he realized he failed the one thing he wanted to stop the most. He barely felt himself being lifted off the ground and into someone's arms as his mind flashes back to all the failures he's done his whole entire life.

"H..." Conan's mind barely registered the voice, "...hey..." one word was enough to make Conan somewhat aware of his surrounding, which lessened his wails to sobs.

"...kid...hey." He could barely make up what the voice was saying, his ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. His sobs turned to sniffles by the time he managed to find where the voice belonged to, which ended with Conan looking at his older self's face up close.

Kudo Shinichi smiled at him, "There you are."

Conan's lower lip involuntarily trembled and his older self was left scrambling to wipe out his snotty face. They were silent for a while, Conan's mind somewhat blank after his outburst and Shinichi busying himself with wiping Conan's face that he must've asked, "Where are your parents?" distractedly.

"Gone." was Conan's immediate response. Which was the truth, wasn't it? If this was really the past then the Kudos wouldn't really be his family anymore... the mere thought of being so utterly and officially alone in the predicament he was in was enough to elicit another involuntary sob.

His older self must've realized how stupid his question was because he apologized. Conan knows what's going through the teen's mind right now, because he... was also Kudo Shinichi.

'Gone. abandoned him. No where near the kid. Dead.′

Conan was tired. He didn't want to think. He's so sick of thinking. He didn't ask for any of this, he didn't want any of the things he just saw. He just wanted to rest.

So he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOC I know, but neccessary. If you haven't read my notes from the beginning of last chapter's I suggest you do? anyways thank you for reading!


	3. The Hospital

He’s got to stop blacking out. It wouldn't do well in his own sanity if he seems to teleport from one place to another because he keeps blacking out. The next time Conan woke up, the first the he noticed was that he was lying on a bed.

His older self must have brought him to the hospital...or back in the agency. Fluttering his eyes open, sunlight immediately covered his vision that he'd had to close it again with a sigh.

He knew that Kudo Shinichi, outward prick of a human detective, internally has a soft spot for kids. So Conan could imagine what happened after he blacked out.

He also knew that his older self would have started an investigation as to why he was in the area near the men in black, but there were so many holes in his situation to let a concrete deduction be put in place.

With the way his appearance were when he woke up along with the gadgets he had on him Conan knew how much his situation might’ve suggested he was a modern child soldier. Conan's face scrunched up at the idea, though he still refused to open his eyes.

Conan felt weird about knowing that he was in the past and he wasn’t sure how to cope with the fact alone. Then there were the paradox of supposedly screwing with the universe if you touched your past self. Shouldn’t something have happened the moment his older self touched him? or maybe... what did Hattori Heiji said about...

Ah! Alternate universe... and time travel?...does that mean Conan was a different person entirely?

Either way he shouldn’t exist here at all, because Hattori insulted him first for being an ignorant bastard on science fiction stuff before explaining to him that the universe would reverse roles or something (Conan couldn’t be bothered to pay too much attention at the time), but never replace the person’s situation. So even if there’s another universe for either of his identity, they wouldn’t be on the same universe together as a separate entity.

'Until now', Conan mused. 'So what changed?'

His head aches. Maybe he should really stop thinking and actually _open his eyes._

The sight that greeted him disappointed him. He was in a private hospital room with a large window at his right and the curtains were open. Based on the beeping sound near his head he had machines on him. But that wasn’t what disappointed him.

It was the fact that he wasn’t back at the Mouri Detective Agency was what disappointed him the most...

Conan didn’t know how to feel about his current situation so he focused on why Shinichi... Shinichi-niichan? wasn’t in the room with him.

The clock on the top center of the wall on his left where the door was also located tells him it was three fifteen in the afternoon. He noted that his older self might be visiting in a couple of minutes.

He didn’t get to think much of his situation anymore when a nurse came in holding a clipboard. A woman in her late 30s, black hair in a pixie cut and brown eyes. Conan tensed, suddenly not feeling safe with another human being that he didn't know. The nurse noticed that he was awake and smiled at him.

"Hello." She greeted softly as she walked towards his bed, "How are you?" she asked conversationally as she pressed a button somewhere near his left side. There was a beep, and she let's go.

Conan just stared at her as she proceeds to check his status and writing on her clipboard. A moment passed before the door opened again to reveal a doctor around his mid-40s, also has black hair and brown eyes. He smiled at Conan as he walked towards them.

"Hello." the doctor greeted and Conan just stared, "What's your name?" he asked.

"C-Con-nan..." he rasped, "Ed-Edogawa Conan..." he stuttered as the nurse gave the clipboard to the doctor before she disappeared from his view.

The doctor wrote something on the clipboard, most likely his name, before looking up at him again and asked, "Do you know where you are?"

The nurse came back with a glass of water. His bed was elevated before she helped him drink the water. Feeling a bit refreshed he replied with, "The hospital."

Standard check up happened after that. Do you remember what happened? yes. Do you remember how you got there? no. What color is this? red. Here's a mirror, do you recognize who your seeing? Conan smiled, myself. Can you solve this puzzle? thank you.

It was after the puzzle that his savior came in the room. Kudo Shinichi was standing awkwardly by the door after he closed it behind him and looked back and forth from Conan to the doctor. Conan couldn't help but be amused by how awkward his older self was. He was well aware that not knowing what to do was what he hated the most, and this Shinichi showed he hated it too.

Conan was also bored from the check up from the doctor, so he couldn't help himself when he blurted out, "Whoa, look doctor, he looks just like me!"

Nailed it.

The fact that they indeed do look alike, Conan belatedly realized, was not a good idea to point out. Though surely they had also noticed this when he was still unconscious. But depending on what they conclude was his background, pointing their looks might have spiraled that theory to another, most probable situation not-shrunk adults would think of.

Gene theft... love child?

Conan decided he'd leave the deduction to his old self and work around what they told him. He didn't realize that said adults who were in the room with him was both just outside the door discussing whatever it was they concluded on his situation.

When Shinichi re-entered the room he had a tray in his hands. But Conan knew something was bothering the young adult so the first thing that Conan asked was, "Did I say something wrong?"

Shinichi turned to look at him while reassuring him that no, he didn't and that he agreed that they do look similar.

Conan only tilted his head slightly to the left as Shinichi twisted a rolling table in front of him and placed the food tray on top. He took off the plastic cover and asked if Conan can eat the food by himself. Conan took the utensils from Shinichi's hand and began to eat.

It was only a few moments of silence before Shinichi spoke up, "Do you want to tell me anything?"

Vague.

Could be open to anything and Conan won't be pressured to answer any specifics. Something that he knew he could count on himself. Despite that, Conan couldn't help but pick at his food as he thought about what to tell his old self.

Telling him the truth would most likely dub him mentally ill, but at the same time telling him a lie would add to the pile of lies he already had in his plate. Not to mention he sucked at lying.

Half truth it is.

"I'm smart." He stated simply.

Safe.

His old self seems to contemplate this before nodding, seemingly accepting what was told.

So Conan took his chance, "I don't exist."

This was much more personal, a full truth as he really shouldn't be in this universe. He heard Shinichi shift and he looked up to meet his old self's eyes who was sending him a questioning gaze. Conan could only shrug.

Two truths in five words. They left it at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 'tis I. Just a fair warning that after a certain chapter, my updates would be slower. Right now it's all very quick because it's a matter of transferring my work here, but after that we'd all be on the same chapter. Thanks!


	4. Two Sides

Conan was entertaining the idea that maybe he left his physical body back in his own universe when the jewel brought him here. When he took a bath earlier this morning, he saw scars that shouldn't be there.

They weren't natural or accidents either.

He could recognize surgical cuts anywhere and he had a lot of it. It wasn't just patch ups from bullet grazes or getting him stitched up after accidents, it was literal 'possible experimental parts' of his body that had it. They were less in number, but long in length. No one would notice it unless they're looking for it. He almost didn't.

He wished he didn't.

He couldn't bare to look at his own body anymore lest he wanted to puke. He couldn't imagine how anyone could do this to a child. Which came the next question, how did Edogawa Conan exist as a different entity in another universe when it was considered deviant?

When he thought about it, he guessed those sickos in the organization wouldn't have been too far off from deviating from reality just to get what they want. Which led to another question, what was their purpose?

Conan's head aches. He focuses on something else instead.

He was just so glad he got discharged two days after he woke up. At first the adults weren't sure if they should put him through child services, but considering the fact that they may be related might have stopped them from sending him off to an orphanage.

Conan was glad, he didn't know if he'd stay sane with a bunch of kids his physical age. He maybe sort of heard that their theory on him was that someone got ahold of the Kudo DNA that made him how he was, and that child soldier wasn't too far from the possibility of why he was born in the first place. Whether or not they knew he was pretending to sleep and lets him listen, he wasn't sure.

He had a feeling they did, and was waiting on how he'll react to the theory. Though as far as Conan knew, it wasn't really far from the truth.

He had the DNA of a Kudo because he _is_ a Kudo, and he can be considered a child soldier on the gray line because he was neither within or outside the law if his association with international thieves or people like _her_ were to be taken into account.

Not to mention his gadgets, which he'd guess was currently with Agasa-hakase, only screamed self defense or attack.

His glasses were no where to be found because it flew away from the force of a bullet grazing it while he was on the run, which ruled out being accused of a tracker.

He remembered leaving his bow tie at the agency because he didn't need it in... the event that shall not be named. Kami only knows what they'd come up with if they saw the bow tie.

So they decided that he was staying with Shinichi in the Kudo mansion, and he was glad that they decided to do that because boy did he miss having his own room.

He did not, however, appreciate the fact that one look at the house sent him to having a minor panic attack. He also did not appreciate the fact that he was left in the mansion with a stuffed toy during school days as he did not have the proper files to go to school yet.

Shinichi would argue that if he just went to Agasa-hakase's house then he wouldn't be left alone in the house and "No Conan, I can't bring you to my school, stop whining." to which Conan denied that he was whining.

Still, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to stay in this universe for too long. The sapphire gem was thankfully still with him, though he was pretty sure they should have recognized the gem from somewhere.

Taking the gem out of his pocket, he examined it as he sat down on on one of the couches in the living room. It was a simple gem cut, flat on the front and back, then tiny triangular cuts at the sides that make up the gem's oval shape.

He remembered seeing red within the gem when he placed it under the moonlight three weeks ago, just like what KID always does when he looked at the jewelry he stole...

_"I found it,_ _Tantei_ _-kun..."_

Conan's eyes began to mist and he suddenly wished he didn't look at the gem. His eyes widened and he abruptly sat up, giving him slight vertigo at the sudden movement but he couldn't care less as he went to the computer Shinichi oh so kindly let him know the password of just to stave off his growing boredom.

Conan booted up the computer and impatiently waited for the screen to pop up. He searched for the one thing that used to be his safe haven.

K-a-i-t-o_K-I-D_H-e-i-s-t

There were a lot of articles popping up, but none were as recent. Conan knew KID was about his original age, but he wasn't really sure when his version of the thief took up the monocle and played catch-me-Nakamori.

The first time Kudo Shinichi officially met Kaitou KID was at the Clock Tower, but even then it didn't mean that he faced off the same person...maybe the reporters would have better luck...?

There! But the pictures didn't help much in Conan's case. Not even a close up on the thief's face. Groaning in despair, he rolled his chair away from the computer screen by kicking his feet at the table. He miscalculated how much force he put on pushing himself as his back bumped on something, leaving him scrambling to get the items to avoid breaking anything.

When he put them all back to where they were supposed to be, he noticed a small picture among five others around it.

But what he found special about this one was the fact that he's possibly seeing an edited version of a Kudo family portrait. He grabbed the frame, and continued to stare at it as he flopped himself back at the black office chair.

In the picture was his... Shinichi's? younger self wearing a Sherlock Holmes costume with his parents behind him wearing their normal formal wear as he showed off his magnifying glass.

But that wasn't the intriguing part of the picture.

It was the other side, which consisted of a sort of doppelganger of his family, only the man and the boy's hair were a lot messier while the woman had her hair cut short. They also had magician hats and a lot of tricks on their side of the picture.

Conan didn't even realized that he was crying until his tears dropped on the glass of the picture frame, but he couldn't care less as he sobbed out a surprised laugh. Kaitou KID was closer than he thought, and he might just be able to save the thief this time.

No one had to die again on his watch, even if one of them was a Phantom Thief.


	5. The Mind

He knew he should think like his physical age, but it was really hard not to when he's still figuring out how to regain his previous allies and be quick on taking down the Black Organization properly. He was only lucky the organization spared the Mouris, his friends, and his parents for so long.

Even then he wasn't sure if that was to play with his sanity or not.

They'll all be taken in by surprise and no one can stop him from doing it right this time. He wanted to get started now, but since it was still a couple weeks before he can go to school, or outside at all really, Shinichi thought it was a good idea to exercise his mind.

Exercise meaning having Conan engage on academic talks without the child noticing.

Conan told Shinichi so many times he was smarter than he looks. Shinichi just wasn't aware how smart until one conversation they had over a thesis.

They were lounging in the private library minding their own business until Shinichi asked his opinion about the thesis he was reading on from a book the teen apparently picked up randomly from one of their highest shelves.

Conan wasn't even paying too much attention to the conversation because he was concentrating on pretending to solve the card Shinichi gave him as he thought of possible ways to contact the FBI. Shinichi had gone quiet and Conan thought they were done talking until the teen asked a question that made him look up.

"What have they done to you?" It was asked in the most concerned and worried voice that made Conan wondered what he did wrong.

"Huh?" he asked, confused. Who have done what to him?

"No kid should have that level of intelligence." Shinichi stated and Conan raised an eyebrow. Shinichi explained, "Well, I'm not degrading kids or anything, but unless you're somehow sick and dying I don't think your mind should be lacking gray matter."

Did the doctor scan his brain and discussed it with Shinichi?

Conan was a bit unimpressed, "Shinichi-niichan, not everyone is the same. Maybe I'm just special." He looked back down on his piece of paper before adding, "But children are getting better than adults every generation or so, and I'm ten years younger than you."

Technically, his mind was older than Shinichi by four years but the teen didn't need to know that.

"Oi." Shinichi hit Conan's head lightly with the spine of the book he was reading.

Conan grinned, "I'm just saying." He went back to his card, pen, and paper.

Shinichi took his book away and relaxed back on the couch, "We should really get out more. It's not healthy for you to stay here inside."

Conan scoffed as he rotate his card upside down, "You're the one who said I shouldn't go parading around the neighborhood." When did Akai-san appeared in his timeline again?

Shinichi groaned, "I know. It's just until we get paper works done. But I also know what it feels like to stay inside this big house."

Rotating the card didn't give much other than '31$5¥¢~¶'. Maybe he can contact the guy?...but then again, he didn't know where anyone was at this time.

"Oh, I know! Let's go to Agasa-hakase next door!" Shinichi exclaimed and Conan stopped.

When the sentence registered in his mind, he paled, "Uh, how about no." Conan vetoed, "How about we stay here and let me finish my puzzle." he suggested.

Shinichi only rolled his eyes as he stood up and tried to pick Conan up. Conan wouldn't budge.

"Come, on, Conan, you haven't been officially introduced to each other." Shinichi grunted as he pulled Conan off the floor, "He's a great man."

Oh Conan knew Agasa-hakase was a great man. The best inventor he knew. He also knew his own version died and he didn't know if seeing the man would be good for his health or not.

"I don't wanna!" Conan exclaimed as he all but willed his body to sag on the floor to make himself a lot more slippery and heavy, "It's inside another house, it's the same thing!"

"Yes! But it's also different!" Shinichi successfully lifted him up and carried him like a sack of potatoes.

"Noooo!" Conan whined as Shinichi carried him out of the Library and to the front door.

"Mr. Cuddles, help me!" He all but screeched when Shinichi walked down the foyer to the front door.

Conan made an effort to cling to the gate when Shinichi exited the property, but Shinichi still managed to pull him. Conan tensed and stayed still as Shinichi walked his way to Agasa-hakase's property.

"Hakase!" The teen called.

"Ah! Shinichi!" the old man's voice triggered something in Conan and he had to stop himself from whimpering.

"Why do you have a child in your arms?"

"He's the one I was telling you about." Shinichi calmly said as he adjust Conan so that he was carrying the child in his arms instead of shoulders. Conan immediately clung like a koala, hiding his face in the crook of Shinichi's neck.

He heard Agasa-hakase chuckle, "Well come on inside."

"Sorry, he's a bit shy with new people." Shinichi said as he took Conan's shoes off.

Conan snapped up, "I'm not."

"I'll believe that when I see you say hi to Agasa-hakase, Conan." Shinichi said with an amused look on his face and Conan once again sagged in the teen's arms with a grumble.

"His name is Conan?" He heard Agasa-hakase ask from a distance and guessed the man was somewhere on his left.

"Yep." He felt Shinichi adjust him again as he felt them go down to sit on a sofa,"Conan, why don't you properly introduce yourself."

Conan shook his head, "Don't wanna."

He heard large footsteps coming over to them and Conan tensed, curling up even more in Shinichi's embrace. He didn't know why he was feeling intimidated. He shouldn't be. Why was he so afraid to face the old man? wouldn't seeing him alive better than knowing he should be dead?

...Maybe because if he turned around he might have been dreaming all this time.

That all of this was a dream waiting to be interrupted and he'll be back in his own world. That Ano Kata found him and took him in their turf without Conan knowing. That if he turned around, he'd see a barrel of a gun, waiting to be fired.

Conan didn't want that. He was a coward, he knew, but he didn't want to face reality anymore. He could live this lie if it meant the truth won't hurt him anymore.

A large hand landed on his right shoulder blade and he flinched violently.

"Whoa there Conan." Shinichi huffed, probably uncomfortable with the way Conan's small limbs were squeezing him, "It's okay." he said, "You're okay."

"Maybe it was a bad idea to bring him here, Shinichi-kun." He heard hakase's gentle voice really near him, though the hand hadn't lifted up.

"Yeah...maybe." He felt the gravity shifting when Shinichi stood up from the seat and started walking.

Conan felt guilty. He didn't mean to make hakase feel bad because of him, real or not. The man deserved better after all he did to help Conan get through with being de-aged into a child. The last thing Conan wanted the man to think before he die was that he didn't like him.

"Edogawa Conan." He blurted out.

"Hm?" Was the response of both adults in the vicinity.

This was it. He was going to end the dream and he'd be back to his own reality.

Conan lifted his head and slowly opened his eyes. The bright lighting made him squint a little, "Edogawa Conan." He forced out.

His vision cleared.

"Hello Conan-kun, My name's Hiroshi Agasa. You can call me Agasa-hakase though." The man greeted with a bright smile.

Conan was stunned. He didn't know if he should start crying or laughing.

This was real, right? the man was alive...right? he was standing there, introducing himself to Conan, right?

He had to know.

He had to make sure it was true. He had to-

He wriggled down from Shinichi's grip, ran towards the large man and hugged him.

"Whoa there." He heard hakase chuckle in surprise, though the man hugged him back.

"You're real." Was all he said.

"Of course I am, Conan-kun."Hakase replied and Conan lets out a sob.

"I'm glad."

Conan didn't let go of Agasa-hakase for the rest of the day. Shinichi teased him after but Conan didn't care.


	6. Mouri Ran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own anything besides the plot and possible OCs.
> 
> A/N: Hey! thank you for waiting! honestly, I think I might just binge-update everything at this point, maybe every six months or so? Really, life is not cooperating with me. SO, here's the deal. Binge-update. But like, a couple of chapters update. . like what I'm doing right now. So for the next couple of days expect a new chapter. Anyways, I hope you don't mind! thank you for reading!

Edogawa Conan knew Kudo Shinichi because he was also Kudo Shinichi. Conan liked to think that he had the upper hand on his current predicament because he knew how to twist his old self to do his bidding.

He heard a thump from the walk-in closet.

Mr. Cuddles agrees with Conan.

But Mr. Cuddles was also a traitor to Conan because Mr. Cuddles knew that Conan has no power over Shinichi-niichan.

It was proven a fact when Shinichi forced him to wear a black and blue striped socks, a blue plain loose long-sleeved shirt and a dungaree. He denies any accusation of having a tantrum after.

Mr. Cuddles only reasoned it's because of their mother's influence. Conan would also deny any accusation of throwing Mr. Cuddles across the room.

No one can accuse a child of attempt murder on a stuffed toy their guardian gave them as a peace offering before said guardian went to school.

Nothing else really happened after that. Agasa-hakase dropped by to give him lunch and snacks while Conan solves the puzzle of the day with Mr. Cuddles, then the man left 10 minutes after High School ends. Shinichi might be within the property by now.

"I'm telling you, I'm perfectly fine!" a voice exclaimed from a distance. Conan stopped solving his puzzle on the floor as he looked up to face the front door of the large library.

"Perfectly fine my hat! you've been acting really strange these past few weeks!" a much more feminine voice replied.

"What?" The other sounded incredulous. Conan twitched.

"You wait for me in front of your gate everyday-"

"Because I woke up early!" the voices are getting nearer now, and Conan wondered if he should hide.

"-which you never do! and the fact that you don't even respond to half of what Sonoko and I are saying tells me just as much-"

"But I do that everyday!" Conan was pretty sure his older self was exasperated even though he couldn't see him.

There was a crash, then, "I'm okay!"

"-Be careful! See? This is what I'm talking about! You've been clumsy all week and sure you still argue with the both of us twenty-four seven-"

Conan wanted to face-plant himself on the floor because yes, Kudo Shinichi does argue with the girls with anything and everything to irritate them, "-but never agreed to anything! for the past few weeks all you do is 'Yes Ran',"

Conan's body betrayed him as he let out an involuntary snort when he heard the feminine voice go into a deep mocking voice,"-'Yes Sonoko. That's good Sonoko. Okay, bye.' what is up with that?!" she exclaimed.

Conan was still covering his mouth to avoid bursting into laughter and froze when the front door of the library opened, revealing a grumpy looking Shinichi and a worried but irritated looking Ran. Conan cursed in his mind when they saw him on the floor and wished he hid somewhere before they both came in.

They all stared at each other before Ran gasped and slammed her book bag on Shinichi then proceeded to pick Conan up from his spot on the floor. Shinichi yelped from the pain and rubbed the sore spot where the bag had hit his ribs.

"What the heck, Shinichi, you have a brother and you didn't tell me?!" she asked as she looked Conan over, "He looks so much like you!" she said as she cuddled him.

"He's not..." Shinichi hesitated.

Conan was feeling more and more uncomfortable with the way this Ran was handling him, but gosh darn it he missed his Ran-neechan so he was going to take advantage of this contact as much as he can and hugged her too.

"Hello little boy," she gushed, "what were you doing on the floor, sweetie?"

"...it's a long story." Shinichi said instead, and Ran stopped her baby talk on the child to look at her childhood friend. When she didn't received any further explanation other than a helpless shrug, she looked at the child in her arms. Conan only blinked owlishly at her.

"Oh well," she dismissed, "You can tell me later when you want to. It's not like I can stay here much anyways." She bounced Conan up a bit, "At least now I know why you've been off lately."

Shinichi could only nod and Conan suddenly felt bad not telling more about himself to him.

"What's your name neechan?" He asked instead, his right hand coming up to his face to adjust his glasses... Which became awkward when he realized he didn't have one and so his hand just poked the bridge of his nose. Conan hoped no one noticed.

Ran looked back at Conan and smiled, "My name's Mouri Ran. How about you?"

Conan felt a bit like a five years old and his outfit certainly didn't help him with keeping his sudden feeling of childishness in check, so he spreads his arms up, "I'm Edogawa Conan! Detective!" he exclaimed.

Ran turned to her childhood friend, "Edogawa?"

Shinichi shifted awkwardly and walked towards them, "Like I said, long story."

Then Ran must have realized what Conan just said and her eyebrows twitched, "Mou~ Shinichi! what have you done to him?"

Shinichi only sputtered in response, "What now?"

Ran walked towards the door, still carrying Conan, "A detective!" she exclaimed as she proceeded to the kitchen and gently placed Conan on one of the stools, "He's too young! he should be thinking about super heroes and cars! not crime scenes!"

Conan dislike that idea and pouted. He couldn't help but to respond to her, "But Ran-neechan, superheroes are not real!"

She didn't stop from whatever she was currently cooking as she replied back, "But you shouldn't be involved with such violent stuff in the first place!"

"Noooo..." Conan was not whining, though he seriously needed a reality check. Why does it feel so natural to be this childish? he was fine earlier! "I want to catch bad guys!" and to add salt on the growing wound on his current guardian, "Like Shinichi-niichan!"

"Oi,Oi!" Shinichi exclaimed, though he couldn't say anything else when Ran reprimanded him of being such a bad role model to Conan.

The rest of the day was spent watching Ran cook them food and talking to one another. Before she left to go home, she hugged Conan one last time, promising to be back tomorrow. It was a fun day that it almost made Conan forget that he wasn't really a real child and that Shinichi wasn't really another person.

When Ran was out of their sight, both was left in a silent atmosphere. Conan's mind was buzzing with so many things. But first things first...

"We need to talk."

Conan snapped out of his thoughts to look up at his guardian's serious face. Conan could only nod, and they both went back inside the mansion.


	7. Edogawa Conan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just repeating this in case you've missed it: Hey! thank you for waiting! honestly, I think I might just binge-update everything at this point, maybe every six months or so? Really, life is not cooperating with me. SO, here's the deal. Binge-update. But like, a couple of chapters update. like what I'm doing right now. Anyways, I hope you don't mind! thank you for reading!

It was tense. Shinichi had pulled up a device that Conan belatedly realized made the white noise in the background. Kudo Shinichi was aware this conversation was confidential.

Conan had picked up Mr. Cuddles from where it was lying on the floor beside the wall it smacked into when Conan threw it, and it was now living up to its name by being cuddled by the child on the couch opposite to where Shinichi was sitting.

In Conan's opinion, they should've had this talk while he was still in the hospital, but he could understand the caution of having a child reliving a potentially dangerous memory and result said child to have more psychological damage than what was necessary.

Conan liked to think he didn't need to be babied, but his behavior around the adults made him rethink this opinion.

"Conan."

His faux-name snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked over at Shinichi. The teen was waiting for Conan to start. Here comes his dillema. What should he tell him?

Conan settled with, "I'm not normal," he fiddled with Mr. Cuddle's round ears, "...they did something to me and I can't go back to the way I was before."

He didn't have to explain who it was that did this to him. Shinichi found him that day, and he knew his old self would connect the right dots. He could trust himself with deducing this without a problem.

His hands squeezed Mr. Cuddle's head as he continued, "I... I discovered what they were really after and I..." He stopped.

He shouldn't get his old self involved again. But he knew Shinichi was stubborn in his own right and leaving him wondering about the Organization was just as dangerous.

Shinichi was still silent, indicating that the high school detective wants him to continue, but Conan already made up his mind.

He looked Shinichi in the eyes, "You shouldn't mess with them, niichan." He pleaded.

Shinichi's narrowed eyes told Conan he'd drop that particular subject, but he'd be asking about it again in the future. Conan slumped in defeat. There goes his hope of plain time travel.

He wasn't like this in the past... This was his alternate self. In place of getting shrunk, this Kudo Shinichi seemed... not him, and Conan noticed he's less attention seeking even at this part of the timeline... less... arrogant. The lack of news reports were proof of this.

"Okay fine," Shinichi said, though his tone indicated it was anything but, "How did you know Kaitou Kid's real identity?"

Conan grimaced. He didn't expect to cry himself to sleep with the computer on while still hugging the picture frame. Though he was still unsure which of them were currently taking the monocle so it was safe to say, "I don't."

Shinichi wouldn't be able to tell if he was lying because he really wasn't. Conan knew his version of KID and he's pretty sure it was the young magician boy from the picture, but he really wouldn't know the identity of this universe's KID unless he sees him for himself. It was another reminder that his version was really dead...

He could feel Shinichi's stern stare, and he couldn't help but be defensive of his action, "How do you know that was my intention anyways?" The question was crap and they both knew it. But the teen's question only focused on one possibility which was unusual.

In his stress, he pressed Mr. Cuddles' buttoned eyes, "for all you know I was looking at it because you all look just like me and it made me think that maybe..." Gosh, why was his eyes stinging?

Shinichi's gaze softened and some of the tension washed away, "I know who he is," He said softly, "...but I don't think they have a relative with the surname Edogawa."

"My life is fake." Conan could claim that much.

"I'm smart, Meitantei." The corner of Conan's mouth twitched upwards as he used one of KID's nickname for him to address the teen across him, "I know who you are yet I don't. I am who you are, but I am different. I don't exist, yet somehow here I am. Everything I did came with a price, and someday I might lose myself in it."

He paused and took a deep shuddering breathe, "I'm not sure why I'm here in the first place."

Conan didn't know if the silence was a good or a bad thing. But that was okay. If he was physically the adult in this situation he would be skeptical too.

Conan scoffed as he realized that he was now playing with Mr. Cuddles. He was mentally twenty years-old, but somehow in this universe he couldn't control the way he act around adults.

But Conan could learn to deal with that, since the universe seems to take pity on his bad acting skills and probably did this to him so he won't screw up.

His hands stopped playing with Mr. Cuddles, 'Screw up what though?'

Shinichi stood up from his seat and sat beside him. Conan followed his movement, but he didn't expect to be picked up and twisted so he was sitting on Shinichi's lap, facing his chest. He looked up at his old self with wide eyes.

"Uhmm..."

"I called my parents," the teen started, "...just to make sure." Conan could see the awkwardness in his body language.

Conan only blinked as he processed this. Then he frowned, "Not possible."

Shinichi shook his head, "I'm not so sure about that. They told me dad had a record of being a donor..."

Conan's eyes widened. It wasn't possible because it was the rule of the universe. They were both a different version of each other, but they're still the same person. There shouldn't be two existing at the same time. Hattori said so. What could have been so powerful as to alter even the rules of the universe?

...or maybe Conan was still in denial.

Conan gasped, flung Mr. Cuddles in his haste to get off of Shinichi's lap and out of the library.

"Conan?!"

Conan didn't stop climbing up the stairs even when his guardian asked where he was going. He just slid to a stop in front of the guest room he was staying in and slammed the door open. He dashed to the nightstand where he hid the gem, violently pulling the bottom drawer.

"GIVE IT BACK!" he screamed at the gem that was now in his hands, then scrambled to stand up by the window.

"EDOGAWA CONAN DOESN'T EXIST! GIVE IT BACK!" He cried as he shook the gem under the moonlight, "PLEASE!" He wanted his real identity back more than ever.

It wasn't fair. It was his last connection to his most precious people he left back in his universe. Was this the payment for saving this version of himself?

Conan slammed his hands on the side of the bottom ledge windowsill.

"...you don't understand..." he whispered as he slid down to the floor, "Edogawa Conan doesn't exist..." He sobbed.

He heard a shuffle from his left and turned his head to see what it was. Shinichi sat beside him, back to the wall and his left leg extended while his right leg was folded up to rest his right arm.

Shinichi just looked straight ahead and he spoke up, "... I don't fully understand what is going on with you, but..." He turned to face him, "... I'd like it if you stay."

Conan only sniffled, his muddled mind not comprehending the sentence. He wondered what that had to do with his situation. Shinichi turned to face the opposite wall again, and he could see the way the teen seemed tense.

"You trusted me to understand you." Shinichi didn't question what he did and what he lost.

Conan could only stare at him.

"I do. Sort of." Shinichi's gaze told Conan he was telling the truth.

"... and I also understand you're stuck." Shinichi looked sheepish and lifted his right arm then rubbed the back of his head as he spoke up again, "I don't like living alone in this big house anyway."

Conan's mouth tugged into a smile against his will and turned his head to look down on his own lap.

"...Okay." He said softly.

Maybe losing it to save the Shinichi in this universe would be worth it in the end.


	8. Pandora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I'm saying is, you've waited for too long, so I'm just gonna do this LOL.

"I'll be back."

"Okay."

The door shuts. It was a full moon tonight. Conan held the gem under the moonlight.

It wasn't his gem.

How did he not noticed this before?

Conan checked the gem again under the moonlight. There was no red light within the gem. Conan felt a rise of panic as he checked in every angle.

Did Shinichi knew what the gem was after all? Did he replaced it with a replica and gave it back to the rightful owner?

There were so many questions running through his head he was pretty sure he was on the verge of hyperventilation. He heard the door open behind him and Conan turned around.

"Where's my gem?" He asked.

Shinichi looked confused, "Isn't that--"

"Don't give me that crap." Conan snapped and Shinichi glared.

Conan wasn't done, "This isn't my gem. Where is it?"

Shinichi walked towards him, though he stood at a distance. That was good for Conan, he didn't feel like he could be near the teen just yet.

"I never touched your gem except for that time at the hospital."

"Plenty of time to exchange it for something else." Conan retorted.

"Hey, even if I knew what it was I wouldn't know why it was with you." The teen said. Conan deflated. He knew Shinichi would want to hear a reason first before he decides to do something. But...

He sensed Shinichi walking down towards him and sat down beside him. They didn't say a word as Conan kept checking the gem.

"Say..." Shinichi started and Conan turned to look at him.

Shinichi reached for the gem but Conan gripped it tightly. The teen retracted his hand, "...Is that... Pandora?"

Conan was confused, "Pandora?"

He couldn't recall the name of the gem when he went to the heist. Was that what KID was looking for?

_"I finally found it..."_

Conan's head hurts.

"Ah...nevermind." Shinichi dismissed.

Conan shook his head and showed the gem to Shinichi, "This isn't my gem, niichan. I want my gem back."

Shinichi reached out for the gem and Conan lets him this time. Shinichi raised it up and looked under the moonlight, "It's exactly the gem you've been carrying with you for a while now." he gave it back to Conan.

"Speaking of which, we need to make that as a jewelry if you want to keep it with you all the time." Shinichi stated.

"I'd rather have a locket. It's not too big for a guy to wear, anyways." Conan suggested, and Shinichi nodded standing up. Conan frowned as the teen walked away.

"Stop changing the subject and tell me where my gem is." Conan demanded.

Different versions meant exactly that. Different. So even if he did have an idea of how this Shinichi would go about decision making, Conan didn't know him.

Shinichi turned around from his place between the door and the doorframe, "Safe." He simply said.

"I want it back."

"I'd rather no one dies because of it."

Conan paused. KID died because of it. Conan almost died too.

He stood up and walked towards Shinichi, "You said you know who he is. Does he know?"

When he reached Shinichi, the teen patted Conan's head, "No." He replied and he closed the door behind them, "Not yet. I want to know why you have it first before we do anything else." The teen explained as they walked.

Conan was a bit relieved that they were similar on that aspect, at least. Conan looked up at the teen beside him when they entered the library.

He was about to ask when they'll tell the thief when the teen turned around and lifted Conan up, settling the child on his hips. Conan had to wrap his arms around Shinichi's neck to find balance.

Conan settled with giving the teen a questioning look. Shinichi glanced down at him and winked.

"You'll see." The teen said and pressed on a book spine.

Conan was surprised. The last time he went in the secret passage, he got lost. He was only lucky to get out of the confusing maze. That was a few days ago when he threw Mr. Cuddles and accidentally opened a door to the secret passage.

Oh he was aware the house was bigger than it already was, but what he didn't know was that the library had an entrance to the passages via the book shelves.

This house was truly a mystery on itself.

They twisted and turned through the passage that Conan had to close his eyes before he gets too dizzy.

"I don't like this." He informed Shinichi as he rested his forehead on the teen's shoulder.

Shinichi only chuckled, "You'll get used to it."

They were silent again, and Shinichi's footsteps the only sound echoing through the narrow passage.

"The gem." Conan started and Shinichi flinched from the sound of his voice, "It brought me here for a reason." He paused, "I'm pretty sure I know why, but I don't know where to start. I'm going to need help even if I don't want to." Everyone involved would be at risk of dying, he didn't say.

Shinichi didn't respond.

Conan didn't know how long it took before he felt Shinichi stop and pushed a door open. Conan twisted around to look at what was happening and didn't expect to find an equipment room. It was full of equipments that he didn't recognize and lots of papers.

What made him happy though was the fact that he spotted his gem on a jewel display case. Conan wiggled his body to be put down, and when his feet touched the ground he quickly walked towards the gem.

"Mommy!" He exclaimed happily and then abruptly stopped reaching out to the gem.

That was... He didn't know why he said that. He retracted his hands and looked at the gem curiously.

"'Mommy'?" He heard Shinichi asked and Conan turned to look at him. Then he looked back at the gem resting in the case.

"I'm... I'm not sure why I said that." He said honestly. Shinichi hummed. Conan decided he didn't want to venture too much on the subject and looked around the room. Something clicked in his mind.

"I never thought Night Baron actually exists." He said as he spotted the signature mask of the Night Baron.

Shinichi shrugged, "Dad likes mysteries, he writes. Mom makes it authentic."

"But I thought it was based off of Kaitou KID." Conan asked as he walked towards the Costume's display case.

He heard shuffling from behind him and turned around. He saw Shinichi wearing gloves as he took out the gem from its case.

"For the rest of the series, yes." Shinichi confirmed, "But it wasn't always like that."

The series had started during the Phantom Thief's rise to fame. The book was a bit more violent. Though during the years of hiatus, the book took a turn that made Conan feel like it was based off of Kaitou KID.

Conan was impressed. So the Kudos really were on the gray line. It was in their genes to consider both sides of the law. His eyebrow twitched as he realized that he should've expected it considering the fact that his parents weren't exactly following the norm.

Shinichi took out a silver necklace with a plain but spacious locket and placed the gem inside. The gem really wasn't that big, just the size of Conan's thumb. Shinichi then walked over to Conan and clipped the necklace around the child's neck.

"It's a family heirloom that I didn't want to wear." Shinichi said as he adjusted the necklace, "I didn't get the point of the locket until today." He looked Conan in the eyes, "I know I said I'd like to keep it here. But if you're reaction was like that on the gem then I have no right to part it from you."

Conan looked down his chest, "Thank you."

Shinichi ruffled his hair, "Just don't die, kiddo."

Conan looked up again, "Are you going to tell him?"

Shinichi smirked, "I'd like you to do it. I want to see his face from the sidelines." Then Shinichi's face turned serious, "But that's up to you. I don't want you to think I'm pressuring you to do so."

Conan nodded, looking down on the locket again. Then he yawned.

"Come. It's time to go to sleep." Shinichi said as he lifted the child up.

"You think we can play Night Baron?" Conan asked as Shinichi carried him through the passages, "without the 'killing if cornered' part, of course. Just like KID."

Shinichi laughed, "We'll see."


	9. Accidednt Prone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I'm really gonna do this

Shinichi and Conan really haven't had a proper bonding time. At least, that's what their parents told them when the two came home to 'adopt' Conan. Conan couldn't blame them for thinking that way, Shinichi couldn't really relax when there was still school and paper works to deal with.

So now, in an almost perfectly good Friday afternoon, Shinichi decided they should go to the mall.

'Almost perfect' because this Shinichi definitely took after their mom's dress up shenanigans. They team worked on dressing him up today. Conan was yet again forced into wearing something he wasn't too keen to wear.

He wasn't off of wearing a slightly loose jean dungaree, paired up with a pastel pink oversized hoody they made him wear underneath it. He was thankfully wearing his power up shoes, because according to Yukiko, "It's red, Shin-chan, it's okay."

Though Shinichi still made him wore a pink and white striped socks. He was also wearing a brown fluffy bear head backpack.

Needless to say, Mr. Cuddles earned a place in the laundry after Conan threw it outside his bedroom window and landed on a mud.

"Why do you hate that bear so much?" Shinichi asked as he picked up his wallet and keys.

"No, you got it wrong! Mr. Cuddles' the one who hates me!" Conan corrected as Shinichi opened the shoe cabinet.

Shinichi sighed, "It's a thing, Conan. It can't hate." He said as he grabbed his sneakers.

"Well, things can have feelings." Conan crossed his arms. He didn't know why he was enjoying this banter. His reasons were nonesense, and he knew Shinichi's right.

"Well then you should feel sorry for all those soccer balls you kick."

Right, child soldier theory.

"That's different! It's their purpose!" Conan argued, "...and you're the one playing soccer, you hypocrite!" He pointed.

"Aw, look at my two babies arguing." Yukiko cooed as she came by from the kitchen and walked towards them.

"Get home safe you two!" Their mom sing-songed, kissing their cheeks and hugging them senseless before officially letting them go.

When they exited the gate and Shinichi locked it, the teen held out his hand to Conan. Conan only looked at it confused. Were they going to make a deal or something?

Shinichi raised an eyebrow at him, "You're supposed to take my hand while we walk, Conan."

Conan looked at him incredulously, "Umm... No?"

Shinichi rolled his eyes as Conan turned away and started walking down the street.

Conan tried to remember if he ever initiated on inviting others to go out when he was still Kudo Shinichi. He couldn't seem to remember past the Tropical Island one.

'Huh... Weird.'

He couldn't really dwell on it when right at that very moment, Shinichi was almost killed via hit and run if it wasn't for Conan pulling him from the start of the zebra line.

"Niichan!" He exclaimed, tugging at the teen's hand, "What is wrong with you?!"

Shinichi only blinked, "I... don't know?" He paused, " I just... blanked out or something..."

Conan suddenly feared for the teen's life. What had caused the teen to blank out and almost die?

He held the teen's hand for the rest of the way to the mall. Shinichi didn't comment.

They got to the mall fine after that. They mostly talked about what Shinichi did that week, or giving each other easy riddles to solve as they go along. Though Conan didn't like the fact Shinichi bought more outfits he didn't want to wear, except that blue winter jacket Conan insisted on buying because it reminded him of the time he was buried in an avalanche.

Conan realized later on that it was a bad way to willingly buy things to be reminded of, though it was one of many events ingrained in his mind.

When they got to the food court, they played 'I spy' with a twist of deducing the person based on what they see.

Of course, with their rotten luck, they spotted a man with a knife too late as the man stabbed another man then fled. Shinichi was already on call with the police when they got across the room to the person stabbed.

Thankfully, the ambulance came fast enough to save the man from bleeding to death. The murderer was still out there so Shinichi followed where the guy went. 

Conan didn't like letting him go especially since he didn't know if Shinichi would blank out again. So Conan followed right after the ambulance came and took care of the victim. He wasn't going to let his past self get hurt.

Like right about now, he mused when he reached the teen and pushed Shinichi back up the platform as the teen slipped from the edge.

"You're heavy." Conan grunted.

They continued to pursue the murderer. They shouted at every guard they came across to get the guy and they all reached to the rooftop. He quickly deduced that the guy wanted to commit suicide right after he killed his target. His older self said this out loud. The murderer panicked and attacked.

'I don't remember being this clumsy when I was in this form' he thought as he pulled Shinichi away from the murderer's knife.

When the police caught up with them and arrested the guy, Conan pushed Shinichi to a chair and sat him down. He searched for any possible injury, and seeing that there was none, he looked at his old self's eyes.

It was dazed.

"Niichan?" Conan called at the exact moment a potted plant came flying from no where. Conan had to pull the teen down so the potted plant flies over.

A woman came running over, apologizing as she explained that she slipped on a spilled juice some random toddler dropped. Shinichi seemed to snap out of it and forgave the woman while Conan didn't let her go and lectured, "You should be careful next time!"

"Kudo-san!" Someone called, making Shinichi and Conan look over to see Takagi-keiji coming over.

"Ah, Takagi-keiji." Shinichi greeted as Conan said one last thing to the woman before letting her go.

When Conan looked back at the new comer, said new comer stopped what he was about to say and gapped like a fish.

Then, "I didn't know you had a brother." Takagi-keiji finally said.

Shinichi grinned and ruffled Conan's hair, "Neither did I."

Conan pouted, he was still grumpy about the events, though he introduced himself, "Edogawa Conan." He lifted his hand for a handshake and Takagi-keiji shook it.

"Edogawa?"

Shinichi looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his head, "He didn't want to change his last name."

Takagi-keiji's eyes widened, "But you look so much alike!"

"It's a long story."

"Ah. Well, Kudo-san, Conan-kun, do you need a ride? Sato-san and I can take you home after this."

Conan was the one who replied, "Keiji-san, we forgot my bag in the food court. It's a fluffy brown bear head backpack."

Takagi-keiji nodded and told them to wait here as he gets it for them. As they wait, Shinichi and Conan didn't talk. They just sat beside each other, taking in on what just happened.

Conan was seriously concerned for Shinichi. He tried to look back on the previous events to see the reason or cause for the teen to suddenly be the target of multiple accidents.

The teen seems to blank out before every single accident happened... What was...

Conan's eyes widened and he looked at Shinichi. No... this can't be happening.

"Conan?" Shinichi was looking back at him, "What's wrong?"

Conan's eyes watered as he climbed up Shinichi's lap. 

"Conan?"

Conan just hugged the teen. Gosh, he's so tired of not being himself. Of being so out of his own personality... but... is it still his? 

He closed his eyes.

'I am Kudo Shinichi.'

"OI! WATCH OUT!"

Conan's eyes snapped open, glanced to the object flying over to their direction. He felt Shinichi's head turn to where the voice came from and raised his hands to brace the impact of the vase. 

The vase didn't actually got to them though as Sato-keiji caught it just in time. 

Shinichi quickly stood up and turned, all the while carrying Conan in his arms. Conan clung to the teen, burying his face in the crook of the teen's neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He whispered on the crook of the teen's neck. 

"Is he okay?" A feminine voice asked.

He felt Shinichi trying to check on him but Conan only tightened his grip.

Shinichi sighed, "He's stressed. I don't think he handled the accidents well. You see..."

Conan stayed in Shinichi's arms the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second last update?? Imma move to updating the other one soon. 😅😅😅


	10. Hattori Heiji

Back in his universe, he was Kudo Shinichi. A detective prodigy of the East, secretly a softy for kids, attention-seeking, and socially awkward when it comes to not-crime related or not-soccer related topics. Then he was Edogawa Conan... a shrunken body of Kudo Shinichi who wants to hide, but doesn’t bother hiding his maturity to anyone who knows nothing about his real self.

Now, he was just Edogawa Conan. He’s building up his new life with Conan’s previous life as a baseline of how he would disassociate himself from thinking he’s Kudo Shinichi. He tried getting his old identity back before, but when he witnessed the alternate-past Shinichi almost die a really senseless memory death (amnesia), he stopped.

So Conan just disassociate himself from his original identity. Just as the gem and the universe must've wanted him to do.

Conan did wonder if Shinichi’s near death experiences kept happening whenever he referred to himself as his original identity, and he got a confirmation indirectly from said teen.

The teen was complaining to Ran after Conan witnessed him almost die in another car crash that the accidents increased ever since they went to Tropical Island two months ago.

He also firmly reassured Conan when he saw the boy’s horrified expression that it wasn’t the child's fault and that he was not a curse that should stay away. It did nothing to ease the boy’s guilt.

Conan couldn’t risk killing an innocent person when he knows he’s not the one in control of how he got in an alternate universe... and as much as he wants to go back, he didn’t think he’d be able to face his own reality.

He was a coward.

But he’d save this universe if it meant he could save them by giving himself up as sacrifice. The people here deserved to live peacefully.

It was such a struggle to disassociate himself from his old identity and focus on building a new one that he forgot the most important thing in his previous life.

So when the doorbell rang on the day his guardian was out with their parents, left him with Ran to clean up the mansion, he was confused.

Ran said Sonoko was out being an heiress, and he couldn’t go back to his old identity’s memories before Conan unless he accidentally kill Shinichi so he had no choice but settle with confusion.

He heard Ran-neechan saying she’d get it, but he was too curious to continue dusting the living room, so he followed her to the front door.

The person outside the gate was none other than Hattori Heiji.

“Hattori...” He blurted out but stopped himself too late as Ran turned to look down at him.

“You know him, Conan-kun?” She asked as the guy looked at them.

Conan only nodded his head, “Un! He’s a high school detective in Osaka. I’ve seen him in the internet before.” he said, glad that he was good at improvisation.

Ran rolled her eyes, “Mou~ Conan-kun, you should really focus on something else besides detectives,” she scolded as they both walk up to the gate, “I get that it’s your dream, but it wouldn’t hurt to like something else.” she finished.

“Does Kaito Kid count?” he asked cheekily.

“No!” she said and sighed when Conan snickered, then looked at Hattori Heiji, “Hello, what can I do for you?”

“Hiya, onesan. Is Kudo Shinichi there?” The Osakan asked.

Conan blinked. Hattori Heiji was more polite in his first entrance here in this universe... or maybe it was because there was a gate separating them.

Conan was internally amused but on the outside he innocently asked, “Why do you need Shinichi-niichan?”

“I wanna challenge ’im on a deduction battle to see who’s a better detective!” Hattori exclaimed, pounding his right fist to his chest.

Ran can only shrug, “Sorry, but the detective geek is out at the moment. He won’t be back until next week.”

One of Hattori’s eyebrows twitched, “I see...”

Conan barely remembered the first time he met Hattori Heiji, but he did remember something bad happened so he opened the gate and stood in front of the dark skinned teen, “Ne, niichan, can I come with you?”

“Huh?” The teen asked, looking dumbfounded.

“Conan-kun!” Ran crossed her arms, “Sheesh, can you please not tail every detective you see? You barely know him!” she turned to Hattori, “No offense.”

Hattori only nodded, “Non-taken.” He replied.

Conan pouted at Ran, “But Ran-neechan, it’s Hattori Heiji!” He internally snickered as he saw said teen smirk in the corner of his vision, “He’s a high school detective like Shinichi-niichan! I wanna see how he deduce!” and to possibly not get the teen killed on the day they first met.

“Oh no you aren’t, brat.” He heard Hattori said and he turned to him, wide eyed.

“But--” was all he could say before a hat was placed on his head, covering his view of the teen. “Uhm...” was all he could manage to say.

“It just felt right.” He heard Hattori explained, sounding awkward. Conan lifted the cap up to see the teen already walking away.

“Keep it!” The teen shouted, “I’ll see you next time!”

Next time turned out to be the day after, where Conan was dragged along with Ran and Kogoro-otchan to another mansion for a case. They arrived on the scene with the teen already investigating and asking questions.

When he saw them coming over he greeted, “Oi! fancy meetin’ you here!”

Kogoro-otchan looked irritated and animatedly pointed at the teen, “What the-- What is this kid doing here?”

“When I heard this lady wants help I came to check. I didn't know she called another detective." Hattori had the decency to look sheepish.

It was Ran who spoke up with a teasing tone in her voice, "Here to check if Shinichi would pop up?"

The Osakan laughed nervously, "Well..."

Conan decided to take pity on the guy and came up to him, "Thanks for the hat Hattori-san!" he said, giving back said hat.

The teen smiled and crouched down to Conan's height, "Just call me by my first name, kid. Hattori-han is my pa."

"Okay, Heiji-niichan!" he exclaimed, smiling too widely to be considered genuine.

"Oh that's right, we haven't introduced ourselves properly." Conan heard Ran say behind him and saw a hand extend just above his left temple, "I'm Mouri Ran and that's my dad, Mouri Kogoro." she pointed to her dad who already started his investigation while they were talking.

Hattori accepted the hand and shook it, "I've herd'f 'im. I admit I want ta see how 'Sleepin' Kogoro' solves his cases."

Conan agreed as he too, was curious as to how the universe fixed his missing presence. He questioned the fame because the man still acted dumb whenever Conan visited the Agency. But he couldn't dwell on it much, he had to introduce himself, after all.

"My name is Edogawa Conan! A detective!" He tilted his head up in a show of confidence and arrogance...well, as much as he could as a kid.

Hattori's grin only widened, "A detective huh?" he said and Conan can hear the amused tone in the teen's voice, "Well then, little detective, care to join me in helping investigate this case?" he asked and Conan nodded.

Ran just shook her head, face morphing into one of giving up, "Just stay with Hattori-kun okay, Conan-kun?"

"Haiiii." He replied, and reached up to take the Osakan's hand, "I'll stick to him like glue! Come on Heiji-niichan, let's solve it before Kogoro-otchan does!" he said before pulling the teen away.

In the end, they didn't solve it before Kogoro, and they actually witnessed how 'Sleeping Kogoro' got his name.

The man would go silent, and instead of staggering before dropping down, he himself would calmly sit down seemingly lost in thought that no one pays too much attention to him. Then he would close his eyes as if to concentrate on his thoughts even further. A few minutes would pass before he would get everyone's attention and start his deduction. It was impressive.

What was not impressive however, was the fact that he was thrown to the balcony. Conan was just thankful that Hattori Heiji was there to save him.

Throughout his time getting used to being just Conan, he forgot that his strong bond with Hattori Heiji started by Conan's near death experience on the balcony.

He briefly wondered if that started the epidemic of bodies literally falling in front of them whenever they meet up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who saw the end note in chapter 8 that I deleted, sorry for the misunderstanding. I read it yesterday and realized it probably sound offensive??? I don't know about anyone but I certainly did get offended by my own note so that's probably not good.   
> It was out of sheer excitement, not out of anger or anything. The thing about online is that we don't know each other so misunderstanding messages are common, especially over a few choices of words. I am one of those who forgets. So what my friends get others probably don't. I only meant to make the plot exciting or think of something more unexpected when I said "change the plot", cuz technically I'm already adding and removing chapters as I go. And when I said I'm not replying and something about a mine field, I just didn't want to reply with spoilers LOL. Cuz I do spoil things to people HAHAHAHA. I don't even know where the minefield came from. I love reading those comments, and I just keep thinking of the monkey meme whenever I read them! 
> 
> Anyways, I think this is the last chapter for now, if y'all wanna stop by my avatar fanfic, go ahead cuz I'm trying something new for it this week. Enjoy everyone and Happy New Year!!


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